By Brian Amaral Journal Staff Writer
Three officers in Rhode Island police departments are confirmed to have COVID-19, the executive director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association said Monday.
Sid Wordell said about five other officers around the state are awaiting test results for the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Fifty officers statewide are out quarantined, Wordell said.
Fourteen of the officers were quarantined as a result of work-related incidents, while 10 had potential out-of-work exposures, Wordell said. The rest are under investigation.
Overall, the quarantines have not caused major disruptions for departments, except in some small departments that have had multiple officers quarantined, Wordell, the former chief of the Little Compton Police Department, said.
The city of Providence has said that one officer tested positive for COVID-19. It’s not clear what other departments have seen positive cases.
The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on the New York Police Department, whose leaders said they expected to have 900 positive cases by Monday. bamaral@ providencejournal.com
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